Exodus 2
Drawn Out of the Water to Save His People
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Birth of Moses
2:1There was a man from the tribe of Levi who took one of the daughters of Levi as his wife.
2:2She conceived and bore a male child. Seeing that he was beautiful, they hid him for three months.
2:3When they could no longer hide him, his mother took a basket for him and coated it with bitumen-pitch. She put the child in it and placed it in the marsh beside the river.
2:4His sister watched from a distance to learn what would happen to him.
2:5Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe at the river while her attendants walked beside it. She saw the basket in the marsh, sent her attendant, and had it brought to her.
2:6She opened it and saw a child weeping in the basket. Pharaoh’s daughter had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew children.”
2:7His sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Would you like me to call a nursing woman from the Hebrews to nurse the child for you?”
2:8Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” The young woman went and called the child’s mother.
2:9Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take care of this child for me and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” The woman took the child and nursed him.
2:10When the child grew, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I took him up out of the water.”
Life of Moses
2:11During those many days, when Moses had grown, he went out to his brothers, the sons of Israel. Seeing their suffering, he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew, one of his own brothers, the sons of Israel.
2:12He looked this way and that, and, seeing no one, struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
2:13He went out the next day and saw two Hebrew men fighting. He said to the one in the wrong, “Why are you striking your neighbor?”
2:14He replied, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?” Moses was afraid and said, “Has this matter become known so openly?”
2:15Pharaoh heard about this and sought to kill Moses. Moses withdrew from Pharaoh’s presence and settled in the land of Midian. Having come to the land of Midian, he sat down by the well.
2:16The priest of Midian had seven daughters who tended the sheep of their father Jethro. They came and drew water until they filled the troughs to water the sheep of their father Jethro.
2:17The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses rose and rescued them, drew water for them, and watered their sheep.
2:18They came to Reuel their father, and he said, “Why have you come back so quickly today?”
2:19They said, “An Egyptian man rescued us from the shepherds. He drew water for us and watered our sheep.”
2:20He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him so that he may eat bread.”
2:21Moses settled with the man, who gave him his daughter Zipporah as his wife.
2:22The woman conceived and bore a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I am a sojourner in a foreign land.”
The Groanings of Israel
2:23After those many days the king of Egypt died. The sons of Israel groaned deeply because of their labor and cried out, and their cry because of their labor rose to God.
2:24God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
2:25God looked upon the sons of Israel, and He became known to them.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.